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We Forgot to (Com)Post!

It has been a few days since we last (com)posted on our blog, but this is going to be a great blog to get us rejuvenated and posting fresh blogs for you. The topic we are going to focus on for this post is Composting! I am sure you have heard of the great benefits of composting and I am sure there are some amazing things you had no idea about this popular trend as well.

So to begin, we are going to talk about some of the basic information about starting a compost pile around your home. Compost is great for many reasons and can only help your garden. It helps add nutrients to depleted soil that most people have around their homes and improves plant growth in either your vegetable or flower gardens. It is especially beneficial here in Ohio because there are a lot of homes that have clay as their soil base. So, below we have included a chart listed below that describes what are good items to add to your compost pile and what each additive does to help your compost.

These are all great items to throw into your compost pile and the best part, they are all free! You use these items in your day-to-day tasks and you normally just throw them away when you’re done using them, but now you can use all of these trash items for your compost, you won’t regret it.

So for those of you who are starting a compost pile we have a list of suggestions for you when getting started. We hope these tips help both you and your compost get off to a great start.

1) When starting your compost find a nice spot in your yard or maybe in some woods close by that wont allow your pile to be an eye sore for you and your neighbors. You may even build a wooden box and throw all of your compostables in, but make sure the bottom of the box is still on the ground. This will help worms to get inside your compost, which you will then find in your garden beds.

2) When you are first laying your compost pile out, make sure to have a base of sticks or twigs so water is able to drain from the pile and aeration is also easy to occur on its own.

3) Make sure to add your compost materials in layers. It is very important to alternate between dry and moist layers as well.

4) It is very important to add manure to help speed the process along. Examples of manure are clover, grass clippings or any nitrogen source really.

5) Make sure to keep your compost moist. Water your compost occasionally or you can just let the rain take care of it.

6) Keep your compost pile covered. It is easiest to do so with a tarp, but wood, or carpet scraps is also acceptable. The covering contains moisture and heat within the compost pile. It also makes sure that the compost pile isn’t too wet.

7) Turn your compost pile every few weeks with a pitchfork or shovel, this helps oxygen to enter the compost. Once your compost pile is established, turn new material you are adding into the pile instead of adding them in layers.

We hope this helps all you DOYs out there. It is even a great time to start doing this because there are going to be a lot of leaves that fell in the fall in winter to use in your compost. If you have any questions make sure to send us a message or you can contact us via our website at Peabodylandscape.com !